Herbology 101 - Herbal Remedies and Herb Information

A genus of plants (herbs, shrubs, or trees), some species of which have large, showy flowers. Some species of hibiscus (kenaf, Hibiscus cannabinus) are cultivated in India for their fiber, which is used as a substitute for hemp. The genus also includes Althea, Hollyhock, and Manoe.

Dried hibiscus is edible, and is often a delicacy in Mexico. It can also be candied and used as a garnish. The roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is used as a vegetable.

Hibiscus tea is a tisane or "herbal tea" consumed both hot and cold by people around the world. The drink is an infusion made from crimson or deep magenta-coloured calyces (sepals) of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower. It has a tart, cranberry-like flavor. The tea contains vitamin C and minerals and is used traditionally as a mild medicine.

Drinking hibiscus tea can reduce high blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes. One study found the average systolic blood pressure for those drinking hibiscus tea decreased from 134.8 mmHg (17.97 kPa) at the beginning of the study to 112.7 mmHg (15.03 kPa) at the end of the study, one month later.

Hibiscus tea contains 15-30% organic acids, including citric acid, malic acid, and tartaric acid. It also contains acidic polysaccharides and flavonoid glycosides, such as cyanidin and delphinidin, that give it its characteristic deep red colour.

Hibiscus tea is also referred to as sorrel in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, red sorrel in the wider Caribbean, roselle (another common name for the hibiscus flower) or rosella (Australian), flor de Jamaica in Latin America, karkadé in Jordan, Egypt and Sudan, Chai Kujarat in Iraq, Chai Torsh in Iran, gumamela in the Philippines, and bissap or wonjo in West Africa.

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